National Security Capability Review Including the second annual report on implementation of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 March 2018 © Crown copyright 2018 Produced by Cabinet Office You may re-use this information (excluding logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or email: [email protected] Where we have identified any third party copyright material you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Alternative format versions of this report are available on request from [email protected] National Security Capability Review 1 Contents Foreword by the Prime Minister 2 Overview 3 The national security context 5 Our vision, values and approach 7 Our Global Britain vision and values 7 Our approach 9 The Fusion Doctrine 10 Our national security capabilities 12 Defence 14 Counter-Terrorism 18 Cyber 21 Serious and organised crime 23 Ports and borders 26 National resilience 28 Global Britain 30 National security communications 34 Economic security, prosperity and trade 36 Development 41 Cross-government funds 44 Annex: Principal commitments from the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 46 2 National Security Capability Review Foreword by the Prime Minister Last year, we commissioned the National Security Capability Review to establish how best we can apply our national security apparatus to address the increasing and diversifying threats to our country and to our way of life. Overall the framework of the 2015 National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review remains right. But since it was published, threats have continued to intensify and evolve and we face a range of complex challenges at home and overseas: the resurgence of state-based threats and increasing competition between states; the undermining of the international rules based order; the rise in cyber-attacks from both state and non-state actors and the wider impact of technological developments; and the increase in threat posed by terrorism, extremism and instability. Over the past year in the UK we have witnessed appalling terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. But also a brazen and reckless act of aggression on the streets of Salisbury: attempted murder using an illegal chemical weapon, amounting to an unlawful use of force against the UK. Crucially what all of these incidents have made clear is that our national security is conditional on not only the police and security services who work so hard to keep us safe at home, or on the brave men and women of our Armed Forces working tirelessly around the world – but on our ability to mobilise most effectively the full range of our capabilities in concert to respond to the challenges we face. So as this report sets out, we have agreed a new approach to the orchestration of our national security capabilities. Based on the new Fusion Doctrine, this approach will ensure that in defending our national security we make better use of all of our capabilities: from economic levers, through cutting-edge military resources to our wider diplomatic and cultural influence on the world’s stage. Every part of our government and every one of our agencies has its part to play. I am confident that we can rise to the challenges ahead and that we can build on our considerable strengths to enhance our national security. To leverage our influence as a nation with the largest defence and security budget in Europe to advocate for peace and stability and promote our prosperity around the world. To work with our partners and allies to strengthen our collective commitment to the international rules based order and project our global influence. And to stand together to defeat attempts to undermine our security and prosperity, to defend the values that lie at the very heart of our society, and to enhance our ability to protect our people. As long as we defend our interests and stand up for our values, there will continue to be those who seek to undermine or attack us. But these people should be in no doubt that we will use every capability at our disposal to defeat them. National Security Capability Review 3 Overview 1. The National Security Council (NSC) reviewed the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR 2015) after the general election in 2017. The NSC concluded that the SDSR, and its three National Security Objectives, should continue to frame our approach to national security. The NSC commissioned a focused National Security Capability Review (NSCR) to identify how we could develop, deliver and deploy our considerable national security capabilities to maximum collective effect. 2. The world has become more uncertain and volatile since 2015. This report updates the SDSR’s assessment of the complex and overlapping challenges likely to drive UK security priorities over the next decade. It explains how we are taking a transformative whole-of- government approach in response, bringing to bear the widest possible range of capabilities. It also highlights areas where we want to sustain dynamic cooperation with the EU to protect capabilities that keep people safer across the whole of our continent. 3. The NSCR focused on capabilities that are critical to our national security, where we judged that they could benefit from review to support implementation of the SDSR. We have not revised any of the SDSR principal commitments as a result of the NSCR. This document also incorporates our annual report on implementation of the 2015 SDSR. We set out our progress against commitments in the SDSR and the actions we are taking as a result of the NSCR: • We will use a new national security doctrine, the Fusion Doctrine, to improve our collective approach to national security, building on the creation of the NSC eight years ago so that we use our security, economic and influence capabilities to maximum effect to protect, promote and project our national security, economic and influence goals. • We will further strengthen and modernise Defence and the Armed Forces to deliver better military capability in an enduringly sustainable way, optimise how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is organised and is operating, pursue a more strategic efficiency and business modernisation programme, and improve our commercial and industrial approach through the Modernising Defence Programme (MDP). The MDP will build on the firm foundations of the SDSR and be informed by the work already undertaken as part of the NSCR. • We will publish a new counter-terrorism strategy, which will include measures to improve our ability to disrupt terrorist plots in their early stages and improve frontline integration of our counter-terrorism response. • We will continue to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy and ensure it keeps pace with the threat, including through the National Cyber Security Centre. • We will take a whole-of-government approach to serious and organised crime, including a single cross-government Ministerial decision-making body, a new intelligence framework, better community engagement and a National Economic Crime Centre in partnership with the private sector. 4 National Security Capability Review • We will integrate the knowledge and expertise held by all border organisations to produce comprehensive strategic threat assessments for the border. • We will improve assurance of resilience and readiness of local and national capabilities, reinforce mutual aid systems during major disasters and continue to develop a holistic approach to supporting victims of emergencies. • We will strengthen our overseas network so that we can reinvest in our relationships around the world, champion the rules-based system including free trade and use our soft power to project our values and advance UK interests. • We will significantly expand the National Security Communications Team to make communications an integral part of our approach to national security. • We will integrate economic goals and capabilities throughout national security. • We will ensure our development capability responds to changes in global poverty and national security challenges. • We will enhance the cross-government funds by improving strategic direction through the Fusion Doctrine, governance through a new Ministerial committee, and efficient administration by merging the secretariats into a single Funds Unit. National Security Capability Review 5 The national security context 1. In SDSR 2015, we described how the world is changing rapidly and fundamentally. We continue to see long-term shifts in the balance of global economic and military power, increasing competition between states as well as the threat from non-state actors. While the UK has chosen to leave the EU, we are unconditionally committed to European security and defence and want to work closely with our European partners to keep all of our citizens safe and our continent secure. 2. In the SDSR we identified four challenges likely to drive UK security priorities for the coming decade. The challenges have become more complex, intertwined and dangerous as the world has become more uncertain and volatile. Domestic, overseas and online threats are increasingly integrated as adversaries develop capabilities and exploit vulnerabilities across borders and between the cyber and physical worlds. We have also added two additional challenges: